It is common to control operation of electronic devices in response to the state of a switch. One particular type of switch makes the operation of the switch dependent upon the passage of light from a light source to a light detector. A conventional optical switch utilizes a light source, such as a light emitting diode (LED), and one or more optical detectors, typically photodetectors, to detect the light from the source. Examples of existing optical switches are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,417,824, 4,878,722 and Nos. 5,721,794. Each of these U.S. patents utilizes various structures for interrupting the passage of light between the optical transmitter and associated optical detector. A signal is derived from the optical detector to control operation of associated equipment.